Sexual Health News and Research

Latest Sexual Health News and Research

Sex statistics show a quarter of women beginning before sixteen

According an official annual health survey more than a quarter of young women today say that they first had sex when they were below the age of 16. This is much higher than statistics from the last generation. The findings of the latest survey, for 2010, suggest that sexual behavior has changed over the generations, according to the NHS Information Centre, which publishes the annual report.

18 Dec 2011

Abortion does not raise risk of mental ailment: Experts

A major review by experts concludes that abortion does not raise the risk of a woman suffering mental health problems. Data from 44 studies showed women with an unwanted pregnancy have a higher incidence of mental health problems in general. This is not affected by whether or not they have an abortion or give birth.

12 Dec 2011

Study highlights need for greater recognition of sexual and reproductive healthcare needs of teen boys

Two newly published reports by investigators at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center highlight the need for greater recognition of the sexual and reproductive healthcare needs of teen boys and enumerate the essential services this traditionally overlooked group should receive at least once a year.

9 Dec 2011

Research on HIV stigma between gay men and within gay communities

An article published in the journal AIDS Care has, for the first time, reviewed research on HIV stigma between gay men and within gay communities.

2 Dec 2011

Study: Abstinence-only education does not reduce teen pregnancy rates

States that prescribe abstinence-only sex education programs in public schools have significantly higher teenage pregnancy and birth rates than states with more comprehensive sex education programs, researchers from the University of Georgia have determined.

30 Nov 2011

Mass immunization with cervical cancer vaccine switched to a more effective variety

Cervarix is currently offered to girls aged 12 and 13 years to protect against strains of the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes most cases of cancer of the cervix, the neck of the womb. Cervarix was picked by the Labour government for the first four-year phase of the NHS programme in 2008 because it offered ‘best overall value’ and more than five million doses have been given.

27 Nov 2011

Active sex life in seniors secret to happiness

In the study of 238 married people aged 65 or older in the US. the researchers found that almost 80 per cent who had sex more than once a month were ‘very happy’ with their life in general.

21 Nov 2011

Link between sex and happiness among older married individuals

The more often older married individuals engage in sexual activity, the more likely they are to be happy with both their lives and marriages, according to new research presented in Boston at The Gerontological Society of America's (GSA) 64th Annual Scientific Meeting.

21 Nov 2011

LGBT seniors face higher rates of disability, physical and mental distress

Aging and health issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender baby boomers have been largely ignored by services, policies and research. These seniors face higher rates of disability, physical and mental distress and a lack of access to services, according to the first study on aging and health in these communities.

17 Nov 2011

Study examines link between hormonal forms of contraception and sexual functioning

Today's hormonal forms of birth control are vastly different from those used by earlier generations of women, both with lower levels of hormones and with different means of delivery (not just a pill), but many of the same problems related to women's pleasure remain.

31 Oct 2011

Opinion pieces respond to U.N. special rapporteur's report on reproductive health policies

Several opinion pieces respond to a report presented on Monday to the U.N. General Assembly by Arnand Grover, U.N. special rapporteur for the Right to Health, that "considers the impact of criminal and other legal restrictions on abortion; conduct during pregnancy; contraception and family planning; and the provision of sexual and reproductive education and information," according to the report summary.

27 Oct 2011

Effective ways to reduce risk of vaginal yeast infection

Vaginal thrush is one of the most popular topics on NHS Choices website. This common yeast infection affects around 75% (three-quarters) of women at some point. Up to half of these will have thrush more than once.

21 Oct 2011

Aborigines have higher STD rates than general Australian population

Aborigines in Australia have higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia than the country's general population, according to research by the University of New South Wales' Kirby Institute and reported on Tuesday at a sexual health conference, the Associated Press/Seattle Times reports.

29 Sep 2011

Rising number of young people having unprotected sex: Survey

A new study showed that the proportion of young people admitting to having had unprotected sex with a new partner has risen over the past two years.

26 Sep 2011

Role of email advice in patients with sexual problems

More than two-thirds of men who contacted an email advice service run by a leading sexual advice charity had erection problems, which were frequently linked to loss of sex drive, according to research in the October issue of IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice.

23 Sep 2011

Viewpoints: Support for HPV vaccinations; Compassion and GOP debates

Imagine that scientists invented a vaccine that was proved to safely prevent cancer. Imagine that it was licensed and recommended in the U.S. for all preadolescent girls and available to boys as well, yet five years later only 11 percent of children were receiving the full course of shots.

17 Sep 2011

Positive thoughts improve mental health in men with testicular cancer

Men who channeled positive thoughts into a five-week writing assignment about their testicular cancer showed signs of improved mental health afterward, in contrast to men who wrote negatively or neutrally about their condition, according to results of a Baylor University pilot study.

16 Sep 2011

Older women uncomfortable about seeking sexual health information

Many women over 50 years old date and are sexually active and thereby face many possible health risks. Yet, most educational campaigns designed to prevent sexually transmitted diseases target younger generations. Older women also need and want more information about sexual health and wellness.

14 Sep 2011

New contraceptive website for young women

Friends, the mainstream media and the internet, all potentially unreliable sources, continue to be the way America's young adults find their health information. Research has found that while they trust health professionals and health educators, they often do not turn to them for information, especially when it comes to their sexual health.

13 Sep 2011

Gay blood donations to be allowed soon in UK

Soon the lifetime ban on blood donations by homosexual and bisexual men will be lifted in England, Scotland and Wales. Ministers have agreed to let men who have not had sex with another man in the past 12 months to donate from November.

12 Sep 2011